Single-Family and "Plex" Housing Objective Design Standards

Plex Housing 1


In 2024, the City of Cotati adopted Objective Design Standards (ODS) for single-family and “plex” housing. The ODS are incorporated into the City’s Land Use Code, which is part of the City’s Municipal Code. The online version of the Code will be updated in 2025. In the meantime, the Ordinance adopted by the City Council to codify the ODS standards may be accessed here. 

What are “Objective Design Standards”? This means specifications or requirements that relate to building and site design that do not require personal or subjective judgement or interpretation by the City staff, Planning Commission, or City Council. 

What is meant by “single-family” and “plex housing”? Single-family homes are buildings that contain only a single residential unit. “Plex” housing refers to buildings or groups of buildings that contain a total of 2 to 9 residential units. This includes duplexes, triplexes, 4-plexes, 6-plexes, etc. It can also include townhouses, stacked flats, side-by-side units, live-work units, bungalow courts, small courtyard apartment buildings, and other layouts. 

Why is this important? Changes in State law intended to address California’s current housing affordability crisis have impacted the way that local governments are allowed to review and approve new housing development projects. Many new housing projects can no longer be subject to any kind of discretionary approval process, meaning they cannot be reviewed or acted upon by the Planning Commission or City Council, nor can they be required to obtain community input. These residential projects can proceed straight to the building permit application process. This is also referred to as “ministerial approval” or “streamlining.” 

However, while discretionary review of residential design is not allowed in streamlined projects, objective design standards, which require all new projects to meet a specific, clearly stated set of standards, are allowed. Having objective design standards in the City’s Code will ensure that new housing projects are designed to fit in with Cotati’s existing residential character. 

Community Outreach and Decision-Making Process

Community input was very important to the process of developing the Objective Design Standards (ODS). The City used the following process to solicit community input:

  • Visual Preference Survey. To obtain public feedback on physical design alternatives, the City conducted an on-line visual preference survey, which was open from February 8 to March 14, 2024. Participants’ input was used to guide City staff, the Planning Commission, and the City Council in developing the Single-Family and Plex Housing ODS.
  • Public Workshop. The City Council and Planning Commission held a public workshop to receive input on the draft ODS on May 28, 2024. Strategies for addressing the City's housing needs were also discussed at this workshop. 
  • Public Hearings. The Planning Commission and City Council each held public hearings on the proposed ODS in Summer 2024. The City Council adopted the ODS at its August 27, 2024 meeting.
Village Walk COT Triplex Reduced size

More Information and Resources

Other City of Cotati Design Standards

  • The City adopted ODS for Multifamily Residential development in 2021. Some aspects of these ODS were included in the Single-Family and Plex Housing ODS. 
  • The Downtown Specific Plan, adopted in 2009, includes multiple standards for plex housing that may be useful in developing the Single-Family and Plex Housing ODS.
brookwood and tokay SR

When and where are ODS for Single-Family homes applied? These ODS apply both to new individual single-family homes, and to subdivision projects of multiple lots with new houses, in zoning districts where single-family homes are allowed. Property owners and developers are still  allowed to propose designs that are not consistent with the ODS, but this requires a discretionary approval process.

When and where are ODS for Plex Housing applied? These ODS apply to all new plex housing of 2 to 9 units, both rental and for sale (condominiums), in zoning districts where such housing is allowed. Property owners and developers are still allowed to propose designs that are not consistent with the ODS, but this requires a discretionary approval process. Plex housing in Cotati is most likely to be built on “infill” sites. Infill sites are generally smaller-sized lots that are surrounded by existing development and centrally located, as opposed to larger lots that are surrounded by other vacant lots and/or located at the edges of a town or city. Since Cotati has relatively little undeveloped land, infill development is a key strategy to provide additional housing for our community. 

Veronda home COT Reduced size

Plex housing is often referred to as “Missing Middle” housing because 1) It represents a mid-range housing type in terms of size and density, falling between single-family homes and mid-rise apartments; and 2) This type of housing tends to be more affordable to middle-income households, due to generally smaller unit sizes. However, plex housing types have not been built in significant numbers in the U.S. since the 1940s. Zoning laws and the housing construction market since World War II have favored single-family homes and higher-density multifamily housing, resulting in a Missing Middle.

Read more about Missing Middle housing:

https://missingmiddlehousing.com/

https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/housing/info-2020/missing-middle-housing.html